Ignite your passion this Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is next week. Are you ready?

Many of our readers will answer this question with a sigh and roll of the eyes, others, with a seductive smile and nod. We understand both reactions.

The Feast of Saint Valentine, as it’s also known, is rough. For those flying solo, the day is forlorn—a stinging reminder that something is missing*. That being said, if you’re married or in a relationship, there’s plenty of opportunities for disappointment (did you remember to buy a card?).

*Note: we should clarify. There is nothing wrong with choosing to fly solo—we are fans of solitude—you do you.

We aren’t part of the doom and gloom set and view Valentine’s Day as a beautiful celebration of love, no matter where you fall on the relationship spectrum. Is our fondness for the Feast of Saint Valentine influenced by cannabis? Perhaps it is (#duh).

Since legalization, cannabis industry innovators have created a legion of products ideally suited for star-crossed lovers, spouses—together for decades, or newlyweds—the happily single, and the not so happily single. Here are five of them.

Five premium cannabis products from Lightshade

1. Coda Bath Bombs

Everyone loves a relaxing bath. Light a few candles, turn on the romantic tunes, and treat your Valentine (or yourself) to a relaxing cannabis-infused bath with the Symphony Bath Bomb collection from Coda Signature.

From Coda:

The body essential Bath Bomb Symphony Collection orchestrates the rich effects of cannabis with our unique oil blends to provide a total body healing experience. Simply drop a single bath bomb into a warm bath, submerge yourself, breathe deeply, and let this effervescent experience relax your muscles and nourish your skin.

2. Binske: 100mg Raspberry Chocolate Bar

Valentine’s Day and chocolate go hand-in-hand, and you’d be hard pressed to find a better, sexier, cannabis-infused chocolate, than a bar from Binske. Borrowing from the ancient Mayan tradition of chocolate manufacturing, Binske’s 100mg Raspberry Chocolate bar joins the gold of Moctezuma with the Feast of Saint Valentine.

From Binske:

As legend has it, when Cortez conquered the Aztecs and asked emperor Moctezuma for their most prized commodity, he was shown vaults of cacao instead of gold. The real gold of the Mayans, Oro Maya Chocolate, comes from the lush tropics of Mesoamerica, where it first evolved in the Amazon River Basin between three and six million years ago. The Mayan civilization is credited with being first to document the manufacturing of chocolate and popularized it in their culture, as they considered it sacred, and chocolate was believed to contain the ‘spirit of the gods’. The cacao is grown, harvested and produced in the same Honduran jungle sacred to the Mayans.

The Honduran 65% Cacao with crispy bits of tart raspberries bursting with flavor. Suggested musical pairing: Je Ne T’aime Plus by Manu Chao.

3. Foria: Pleasure Lube 5ml

Break out the cannabis-infused lube when you and your Valentine are ready to kick things up a notch—or, when you’re ready for a solo celebration. Need we say more? Nope.

From Foria:

FORIA Pleasure is a first of its kind all natural sensual enhancement oil thoughtfully designed for women and their partners –  a blend of nourishing liquid coconut oil and lab-tested cannabis oil.

•   Sourced from sun-grown cannabis cultivated to organic standards
•   Delivered in 100% organic-certified coconut MCT oil
•   30-50 servings per bottle
•  Independently tested for purity: free of pesticides, heavy metals, microbes, and other toxins    

4. Love’s Oven: Red Velvet Cookies 100mg

If THC laden chocolate bars and cannabis-infused lube isn’t your thing, perhaps the 100mg Red Velvet Cookies from Love’s Oven will spark your interest. Who doesn’t love a sensual cannabis-infused cookie on Valentine’s Day?

From Love’s Oven:

Dive into the deep mysterious taste of luxury that will leave your taste buds wanting more.

Ingredients:
White Flour, Colorado Beet Sugar, Cannabutter, Egg, White Chocolate Chips, Cocoa Powder, Liquid Red Food Color, Pure Vanilla Extract, Pure Baking Soda, Baking Powder, Agar

Allergens:
Wheat, Dairy, Egg

Package Size:
Ten individually packaged, 10 mg active THC cookies

5. Mary Jane’s Medicinals: Aloe Lotion 2oz

Everyone appreciates silky, smooth skin, especially on Valentine’s Day. Treat your special someone to a relaxing rub-down with a cannabis-infused lotion from the topical experts at Mary Jane’s Medicinals.

From Mary Jane’s Medicinals:

Our silky body lotion is a great product for skin issues that can affect larger areas of the body because it easily spreads over the skin and is quickly absorbed. Between the regenerative powers of cannabis and aloe vera’s well-known ability to treat burns, this lotion is quite effective at soothing and helping to restore sunburned, sun damaged, or aging skin. And it can aid comfort for other painful skin problems too. Apply this rich cream all over your body before bed for a restful night’s sleep.

Valentine’s Day has been delighting lovers and irritating single-folk since the Middle Ages. Fortunately, for those lucky enough to live in Colorado (or any state where recreational cannabis is legal), marijuana is here to help you elevate the years most contentious ‘holiday.’

Whether you’re going it alone this year, or spending the day with your closest companion, make this Valentine’s Day an elevated experience to remember. Place a pre-order online.

Be sure to keep an eye on our sales & specials page next week for our Valentine’s Day promos.

The New Year is your opportunity to reset and renew, and cannabis is here to help.

As the clock strikes midnight on December 31st, people around the world celebrate the New Year and make resolutions with the best of intentions. From dropping weight to hitting the gym, lofty travel plans, to personal wellness goals, we start the New Year with only positive outcomes in mind—unfortunately, as the days progress, most of us run into roadblocks. Cannabis can help.

While people become more comfortable with mainstream cannabis and a new population of consumers discovers the variety of strains and their impressive range of effects, we continue to chip away at the couch-locked stoner stereotype.

We want to pause and make something clear: we mean no disrespect to consumers interested in the classic, couch-lock experience. There’s a wide range of consumers and an equally broad range of cannabis effects—we don’t discriminate.

Let’s get back to our resolutions.

Cannabis has proven benefits to those touched by a slew of issues, from tension and general pain relief, to more severe afflictions. Surprising to some, however, cannabis can provide motivation to keep you on track to hit your New Year’s goals.

Tackle your to-do list with a Sativa-dominant hybrid.

If you’re missing the energy or motivation to tackle a list of resolutions, a Sativa-dominant hybrid will be your best friend. Sativas elevate your mood, but in the case of a hybrid strain, a touch of Indica helps to keep you grounded and focused. That said, the impact of a strain depends on your body chemistry, and the strain’s unique terpene profile (click here to learn more about terpenes and how you can use them to predict your high). If you’re new to cannabis, as the phrase goes, start low and go slow. Test with low doses and experiment with various strains to find the right products to help you tackle your list.

Lightshade recommends:

Enliven Strains for an energizing experience: Durban Poison and Sour Joker

Inspire Strains if you prefer a more mellow effect: Lavender Jones and Pineapple Express

Elevate your workouts and stay on track this year.

Microdosing cannabis before a workout is a great way to prepare mentally for an intense sweat session (we published a blog about it last year). The awareness of your body grows, and each movement becomes a focused, moving meditation. Cannabis and yoga go hand-in-hand, and, yoga, as well as being an intense total body workout, is an excellent way to focus your mind and to cultivate a positive mental attitude. Set achievable goals, start slowly, and don’t hit the gym or studio with so much enthusiasm that you burn out instantly.

Pro tip: if you pull a muscle in the gym or yoga studio, cannabis can help with that too (be sure to visit your healthcare provider for anything more than a minor injury).

Lightshade recommends:

Enliven strains to elevate and energize  your workout: The White, Green Crack and Red Headed Stranger

Calm Strains for post-workout relief: Star Dawg, Mother’s Milk and Dalae OG

Make travel plans and unleash your creativity with a strain from our Inspire category.

While we never recommend traveling with cannabis (it’s illegal), we always encourage consuming to inspire creativity and to dream up lofty travel plans. Pull out the map, pin it to a wall, consume a strain from our Inspire category, and start throwing darts. Pick a dream destination and sit down to map out a strategy. No goal is too lofty when you strategize and build a roadmap. We recommend that you solidify your travel goal(s) and work backward, step-by-step, making notes at each juncture to bring your target to life.

We are biased, but in our opinion, cannabis is the ultimate catalyst for inspiration and creativity. With the right strain, you’ll find the focus and motivation to bring your lofty travel goals and creative resolutions to life.

Lightshade recommends:

Inspire Strains: White 99, Orange Herijuana and Sour Diesel

Optional: try a Rest strain to clear your mind and daydream about your next adventure: Bubba Fett

There is quite literally, a world full of resolutions, and, while most people will find themselves losing sight of their goals as the year moves forward, there are steps you can take each day to achieve and exceed your objectives in 2019. Cannabis can be your ally in this endeavor—your secret weapon.

A Look Back at 2018 With Lightshade’s Top 5 Blogs Of The Year

Prepare for the New Year with a look back at five of your favorite blogs from 2018.

The New Year is just around the corner, but we’re not quite ready to say goodbye to 2018. The last 12 months have been a whirlwind for the Lightshade family. We’ve won awards, including Best Dispensary For A Native, our staff continued to support a few of Colorado’s amazing charities, we saw our newest dispensary bring medical marijuana to Federal Heights and even helped put on a party at Red Rocks last winter.

Through the year, Lightshade continued to spread awareness around cannabis, educating our blog readers about various cannabis-related topics. It’s with this in mind we thought it would be fun to look back on some of our favorite entries. Here are our top five blogs of 2018!

1. Women In Cannabis

2018 saw a powerful surge in the push for gender equality and women’s rights. From the #MeToo movement to the millions across the country who participated in the Women’s March at the start of the year, women everywhere stood up for fairness. This blog entry from last March, National Women’s History Month, highlighted some of the achievements of the cannabis industry’s most notable and distinguished women, including Lightshade’s very own Shannon Brooks.

2. Cannabis: The Secret To Enhanced Athletic Performance and Recovery

Here’s one for those of you with fitness goals on your New Year’s resolution list. In this blog from April, we explored ways that cannabis is changing how people workout, train and recover while staying in shape or preparing for a competition. If you’re looking to take home the gold in 2019, check out this blog and see why cannabis and fitness go hand-in-hand.

3. Cannabis Vape Pens and Cartridges: Two Of Our Favorite Things

Since legalization in Colorado, vaping has become a preferred cannabis consumption method for many consumers, and 2018 saw this category of products grow even more. Maybe it’s the convenience of vape pens people enjoy, perhaps it’s the variety of unique CBD and THC cartridges available, whichever your reason, cannabis enthusiasts have proven this trend isn’t going anywhere. In this blog published last October, we got our staff involved and asked them to tell us about their favorite cannabis vape products.

4. Only The Good Stuff: The Wide World Of Cannabis Concentrates

This past July Lightshade celebrated Concentrates Month, and as part of the celebration, we published a blog explaining all things cannabis concentrates. In this entry, you can find out everything you need to know about the many different types of cannabis concentrates available at Lightshade. Wax, shatter, budder, resin and more. No matter what form you’re curious about, this blog has the answers.

5. CBD Explained

Sure, this is our most recent blog entry, but it covers one of our favorite topics so we had to include it! Last week we published a blog covering one of the most significant U.S. consumer trends of 2018; Cannabidiols, aka CBD. Even if you’re unfamiliar with this cannabis product category, chances are you’ve at least heard the term CBD. CBD has been popping up in products nationwide, but still, many Americans don’t know what CBD is or does. Here we address just that and more, including how marijuana-derived and hemp-derived CBD differ and what to expect when you consume CBD.

We are looking forward to 2019!

2018 was a big year for cannabis and Lightshade alike. We want to thank all of our AWESOME customers and friends for continuing to feel the Lightshade love, as well as our brilliant staff for making this past year a success. However, we’re all about the future—bring on 2019. We will see you next year!

An Exploration of This Years Hottest Cannabis Trend, Cannabidiol (CBD)

CBD is exploding nationwide, but mystery and misinformation are preventing consumers from realizing its benefits.

This year, cannabidiol products, more widely known as CBD, have taken the country by storm. Despite, or more accurately because of, the attention these products are receiving, a growing number of consumers are unsure of what CBD is (and does), and how it differs from the more commonly understood cannabinoid, THC.

As CBD becomes more widely known among a population of consumers, most of which are new to cannabis, it is essential to take a close look at this emerging category of products and lift the veil of mystery to eliminate confusion and misinformation.

Let’s dive in.

CBD: A Basic Definition

Let’s begin with the basics. What is CBD?

Cannabis is packed with hundreds of chemical compounds known as cannabinoids. These cannabinoids are responsible for the range of effects commonly associated with the plant. CBD is one of these compounds.

Most consumers, until recently, have been familiar only with THC, the chemical compound responsible for our favorite plant’s psychoactive effects. Our bodies absorb cannabinoids via the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is a group of receptors found within the brain and central nervous system that make it possible for us to realize its effects (psychoactive or otherwise).  

Other cannabis compounds include CBN, CBG, and THCV, to name a few. Each compound owns a unique set of properties and interacts with the ECS to produce a broad range of effects.

CBD alone, is not psychoactive, meaning it won’t get you high. This fact is the primary point of difference between CBD and THC. This is not to say CBD has no effect on the body, to the contrary, CBD has a range of effects that while different from those offered by THC, are equally impressive (we will get to those later).

Marijuana CBD vs. Hemp CBD

There are two primary types of CBD; marijuana-derived and hemp-derived. To understand the difference between the two, we need to first understand the difference between marijuana and hemp. Both are varieties of the cannabis plant, however; they have very different attributes, both chemically and visually.

Looking at the two plants side by side, you’ll see the hemp plant has thin leaves with tall, slender stalks. Marijuana, on the other hand, has broader leaves with a shorter stalk and large buds. The most significant difference between hemp and marijuana, however, isn’t in appearance, but in the make-up of their cannabinoids. Marijuana typically has very high levels of THC and lower percentages of CBD, while hemp, as you may have guessed, contains high levels of CBD and low levels of THC.

When looking at the difference between marijuana-derived CBD and hemp-derived CBD, it all has to do with the percentages of each cannabinoid the plants produce. While each plant will have percentage of both THC and CBD, hemp plants will have an extremely low percentage of THC, which is why hemp-derived CBD is legal in most of the U.S. and marijuana-derived CBD products still remain legal only in medical and recreational states, such as Colorado and California.

If it doesn’t get you high, what does it do?

CBD on its own may not produce any psychoactive effects, but it makes up for that with many other qualities. CBD has a therapeutic effect on the body and has been shown to help with nausea, inflammation, stress, pain and anxiety relief. Many consumers actually prefer CBD to THC for this reason. They can get many of the benefits of cannabis without having to have the head-high that comes along with THC so they can consume throughout the day while remaining alert and focused on their routines.

Further research is needed on CBD, but there have been many studies that suggest CBD can be helpful in the treatment of illnesses such as cancer and epilepsy.

Why get CBD products at a dispensary?

If CBD is legal in nearly every state (be sure to check your local laws), why bother going to a dispensary to purchase CBD products when you can just order them online? There are multiple reasons why a dispensary is the way to go.

First and foremost, you have the option of buying cannabis-derived CBD products. As we mentioned before, cannabis-derived CBD products also contain different levels of THC in addition to CBD, and here is where things get really interesting.

By many accounts, THC and CBD work best when they are utilized together. What is known as the “entourage effect” in the industry, this concept suggests that cannabinoids work better together, with THC and CBD enhancing one another’s characteristics and benefits while downplaying adverse side effects of the other, such as CBD reducing paranoia symptoms that could be brought on by THC, for some people. This is something you just won’t be able to get from CBD-only products sold online.

The confusion around CBD has grown as more products find their way to market, sold online (as we’ve mentioned above), and at local farmers markets and boutiques. CBD purchased outside of a dispensary has been known to include chemicals which could be harmful when consumed. Additionally, in countries like China, where a large percentage of the world’s CBD-only products are produced, dubious testing practices and vague regulations increase the chances that your purchasing products with unhealthy additives. You can rest assured that products purchased at a licensed Colorado dispensary, have been through rigorous testing for chemicals, microbes, and other potentially harmful additives.

Dispensaries offer a wide range of products, with varying ratios of THC to CBD. Whether you want a 10 to 1 ratio of ‘CBD-heavy’ gummies, an even ratio of 1 to 1 THC/CBD bath soak, or a 20 to 1 CBD/THC tincture, these are all options you’re only going to find in a dispensary.

At Lightshade, we carry a full offering of the highest quality CBD products available, from full CBD vape pens to THC/CBD edibles, we’ve got it all. Our knowledgeable budtenders are trained and ready to answer any questions you have about CBD or any and all things cannabis related. Stop by any of our eight Denver-metro locations and discover what the CBD movement is all about.

The Lightshade 30-Day Challenge, Continued

Elevate the season with our Autumn-focused recipes and ideas.

Last month, we challenged you to make a switch from alcohol to cannabis at least one evening a week, for 30 days. We’ve since received a flood of positive feedback from Lightshade customers, who have discovered for themselves, the transformative impact making this change can have.

From the miraculous to the mundane, customers have reached out to share inspiring stories and significant results—our budtenders have heard it all. Everything from people who have dropped an inch from their waistlines to one customer, new to cannabis, who realized an incredible personal transformation after only a handful of positive experiences, and has since made the decision to eliminate alcohol completely.

This month, as the temperatures drop and you begin to spend more time indoors, Lightshade encourages you to continue to challenge yourself and perhaps add an additional day (or more) each week where you swap the booze for the bud. To help support you in this endeavor, we’ve come up with a handful of ideas specific to this transitional time, as the heat of summer subsides, and we changeover to the season of cold.

It can be difficult to keep clear of the whiskey or wine on a cold Colorado evening. The recipes and ideas below will help you stay the course.

Transform your Broncos game-day experience.

When imagining game-day parties, most Coloradans see images of wings, dips, and beer—lots of beer. The thing is, when you’re surrounded by carb-heavy treats, inserting extra calories in the form of a beverage isn’t ideal. Adding the threat of a possible post-game-day hangover (made worse by a loss), is equally unappealing. This football season, try swapping out the brews for cannabis. Your guests might make jokes, they may seem shocked, and a few might call you crazy, but they’ll appreciate the restful sleep, dropped calories, and hangover-free morning, post game-day.

Everyone loves Mac N Cheese—try this enhanced recipe at your next game-day gathering.

Hunker down for a chill afternoon at home.

It’s getting cold—in comparison with our string of 90+ degree-days in September, some might say frigid. Throughout summer we advocated taking advantage of Colorado’s outdoor activities, but there’s nothing wrong with spending a guilt-free afternoon at home on a cold fall day. Self-care is a must in this fast-paced digital age, and sometimes a quiet afternoon, reading, listening to music, or revisiting your favorite movie is just the thing to recharge your batteries. Cold weather is the perfect excuse to stay inside.

Enjoy a dose of liquid sunshine on a cold Colorado afternoon.

Host a cannabis-themed dinner party and/or happy hour.

Fall is the season of small gatherings and reflection. There’s no better way to stay warm than by inviting a few of your closest friends over for a cannabis-themed happy hour and/or dinner party. Invite your friends to join early, whip-up a delicious cannabis-infused mocktail–or leave the cannabis out, place a few tinctures nearby, and have guests dose themselves. As an alternative, set out a plate of edibles for everyone to enjoy–remember, ‘start low and go slow’.

Take a short break from cannabis while you and your guests enjoy dinner, and instead of a cocktail or dessert after the meal, indulge in a post-dinner cannabis-infused chocolate. We recommend Bliss Cups from 1906, or Coda Signature’s ‘Coffee & Donuts’ 100mg THC chocolate bar (to be shared).  

Couples, after your guests leave for the evening, keep the fun going with High Love Beans from 1906 or wind down with Midnight, also from 1906.

Find Your Balance

Whatever the occasion, you can find the right product and strain to fit the moment for both you and your guests. Enliven, to find focus, euphoria, and energy. Calm, to elevate your mood or to relax. Inspire to boost your pre-dinner appetite, enhance creativity, or discover bliss. Rest, to relieve tension and to help your guests go home and enjoy uninterrupted sleep.  

We realize the transition from summer to fall can be rough. We also realize, for many people, making a switch from alcohol to cannabis can be equally challenging. The unnecessarily checkered past of our favorite plant, mischaracterized both pre and post-prohibition, only adds to the challenge new consumers face when integrating cannabis into their lives. Lightshade is here to guide your journey—visit us today and begin your transformation.